Steering damper bracket recall for three BMW dampers

This notice is sent to you in accordance with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.

Öhlins Racing AB has decided that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in the aftermarket steering dampers SD033/SD038 for the BMW S1000 RR and SD037 for the BMW R1200R.

Öhlins Racing AB has therefore decided to recall all affected aftermarket steering damper brackets of these models to rectify the issue.

The cause is material being machined in an unfavorable direction in combination with probable material defect and the aluminum alloy being sensitive for stress corrosion cracking.

IMPORTANT NOTICE!

Although there is no risk for losing the control during normal riding, there is a risk that the bracket will fail when the steering is used to maneuver the bike in a small radius or if there is a maximum steering angle used in one direction. We therefore strongly urge you to remove the steering damper before using the bike! It can be a safety issue to use the bike with this steering damper mounted with this bracket.

The material in question was replaced by Öhlins Racing AB after July 10th 2012 and this problem does no longer exist on steering dampers produced after this date.

We therefore ask you to remove the steering damper bracket and send it to us using the contact details below. We will receive new brackets for the steering damper that will rectify this problem.

You will not bear any costs for this. Öhlins Racing AB will through us cover for all costs related to dismantling the steering damper bracket and sending it to us. If you chose to have the new steering damper bracket installed by an Öhlins center or dealer instead of installing it yourself following the Öhlins mounting instructions, those costs will be covered as well.

If you no longer are the owner of the bike with this steering damper bracket mounted, please provide us with information about the new owners, again using contact details below.

Batch numbers for the steering dampers in question can be found on page 3. You can find the batch number on the steering damper, stamped on the steering damper body. Please send the faulty bracket to Öhlins USA. Use the pre-paid address label and box from the correct bracket. Don’t forget to put your name and address information in the box. This is important for us so we can trace all claims.

If you have any further questions regarding this, please contact us using the contact details below.

If you are the lessor of this vehicle, please forward a copy of this notice to the lessee within ten days to comply with federal regulations.
If you have already paid to have your steering damper bracket repaired for this condition, you may be eligible for reimbursement of the charges you paid for the repair. To learn more about what you need to do to obtain reimbursement, contact Öhlins USA. Contact details below.

If after having attempted to take advantage of this recall you believe you have not been able to have your steering damper bracket remedied without charge and within a reasonable amount of time, you may submit a complaint to the Adminstrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave., S.E.; Washingtong D.C., 20590; or call the toll-free Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153); or go to http://www.safecar.gov.

We apologize for any inconvenience this safety recall may cause, but your safety is our first concern.